Turn Away | c.h

Chapter 34 - Talk Is Cheap

Sorry for the lateish update, so much has gone down in my busy life lately and I'm tryna keep up with it all

Hope you enjoy this chapter, love you guys :-)

The rain fell against the window, as I felt his fingertips trace over my bare skin, making absentminded patterns.

I felt his chest slowly rise and fall under me, his warm, soft skin keeping me warm as our bodies were entangled amongst the sheets. I traced my finger along his waist, gently pulling the fallen blanket back up around our bodies. Calum pressed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. I looked up at him, offering him a small smile.

"How're you feeling?" He softly asked, his voice incredibly raspy. I glanced down at his lips.

"Good." I nodded. "My hips are a little sore, though." I quietly admitted, watching as his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"How bad is the pain?" Cal asked, his hand softly resting over my hip. I softly shook my head.

"Not too bad, it's just annoying."

"Tell me if it gets any worse, okay?" He said, hand gently rubbing my hip.

"Okay."

I relaxed my head, resting back down on his chest as I listen in on his heartbeat. I focused on the rhythm, my palm pressing flat against his skin, the other side. It still amazed me, that two hearts captivated this body. It was insane to even begin to imagine, that one significant body carried two hearts.

I focused on the gentle beating, before focusing on my own. That's when I noticed our hearts beating in time, matching perfectly with each pulse. I couldn't help but remember something my mum had told me, when I asked her what love was.

"Sweetie," she softly spoke, crouching down to my size. I looked up at her, watching as she softly took my hand. "Love is many things."

"Like what?" I asked, causing a smile to form on her lips.

"Love is that feeling in your stomach when you see the one person you've wanted to see all day," she said, leaning in to tuck the hair back behind my ear. "Love is when you look out to the sky, and you see all the little stars shining right back at you."

She took my hand, moving it to rest over her chest. She then pressed her own hand to my smaller frame, a smile on her lips.

"Most importantly, love is when your heartbeats are in time." She smiled, closely admiring as I smiled up at her. "That is what love is, Stella."

I noticed Calum shift from under me, his hands holding my body as he moved above me. I looked up at him, noticing his brown eyes, glowing a shade that I'd never seen them before. I placed my hand on his cheek, watching as he studied my features, our breaths mingling.

I felt his fingers brush over my cheek, as our noses grazed against each other's.

"Stel?" He whispered, causing my heart rate to pick up. There was something so sweet about the way he said my name, it could easily drive me to insanity. He was really something special.

"Yeah?" I quietly said, feeling a small smile grow on my lips. Something was different- something had changed in the past few minutes, and I didn't know what. But whatever had changed, I'd never seen him look more happier, in one of the most calmest ways.

He closed his eyes, letting out a breath as our foreheads pressed against each other's. I ran my hand through his hair, pushing his curls back, before cupping his cheek once again.